There are known various hand-operated and power-driven machines that are used by butchers and meat-packing houses to mechanically tenderize various types of meat, fish and poultry. Generally, these machines comprise a plurality of blade segments that are aligned at selected distances for penetration into the meat. These blades cut the tendons or connective tissues in the meat with very fine incisions and thereby tenderize the meat. The blade segments are movably connected to a handle means which, when pulled down, will lower the blades into the meat section positioned below the blades. The blades are connected to spring means which easily allow the downward and return upward movement of the blades after the tenderizing step.
Typical of these machines are those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,283,360; 3,583,025; 5,085,614 and 5,342,235.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,360 (Tamain), a tenderizer is disclosed utilizing an assembly of close metal blades that are driven by an electric motor. The reciprocating movement of the blades driven by the motor forces them into the meat and withdraws them automatically. When the blade grid or assembly of blades is in position they are surrounded by a frame 35 which in turn is supported by two rods 36. All four sides of blades or cutting assembly 22 are surrounded by the frame 35. Thus, to remove Tamain's blade assembly for any reason, the blade assembly 22 must be lowered down from the encircling frame 35 after numerous bars, rods and separators are loosened or removed. This blade assembly removal process which is similar to the removal process of all of the above-noted patents, involves holding the sharp terminal ends of blades 22a. Not only is this blade assembly procedure cumbersome and complex but it also exposes the user's hands to injury from the sharp blade 22a ends.
In Jaccard U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,025, a similar blade assembly 42 made up of blades 44 is used. This assembly also is completely surrounded by a frame or stripper plate 46 which, as in Tamain, requires the blade assembly to be dropped from between the four sides of stripper plate 46. While the Jaccard tenderizer has been very successful, one serious drawback has been the blade removal procedure which is complicated and could be injurious. The series of vertically suspended blades 44 of Jaccard are maintained in close separation by the Jaccard separator of FIG. 4. The bars 72 of the Jaccard separator 5 keep the blades 44 in alignment during use. The Jaccard separator has a notch 88 provided in the edge of its carrier 76 which is used to connect separator 5 to his stripper plate 46 by use of a threaded bolt and thumbscrew 86; see FIG. 2 of Jaccard. Stripper plate 46 is shown in Jaccard's FIGS. 1 and 3 to completely surround his blade assembly 42.
In Bourret U.S. Pat. No. 5,085,614, the same or similar stripper plate 46 as used by Jaccard and Tamain is shown. In front view FIG. 1 and side view FIG. 2, Bourret shows that his stripper plate completely surrounds the array of blades or blade assembly 12. In FIG. 2 of Bourret, his separator is shown (unnumbered) having an extending handle just over his element 17. The unnumbered separator is attached on grid 17 at both the front and the back. To remove blade segment 12 of Bourret, his separator unit is unscrewed from the front and the back and his supporting branches 10 and 11 removed. The blade assembly is then allowed to fall down from grid 17 and be removed by supporting his sharp blade ends at the lower terminal portion of the blades.
In Watanabe, U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,235, an automatic meat tenderizer is shown but it is quite dissimilar to the Jaccard or Bourret devices. Watanabe, however, also completely encloses his blades or needles by connecting members 29.
In all of the above-discussed prior art, blade removal was a complicated and serious problem. All of the manufacturers attempted solutions to simplify blade assembly removal but, as of the present time, there remains difficulties involved with this removal process. The enclosure around all sides of the blades was believed required since the separators required front attachment to the stripper frame and, accordingly, a four-sided stripper has been retained in all commercial machines of this type.